The purpose of the Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Core (BMSC) is to provide cost effective, state-of-the-art instrumentation to members of the Liver-Lung Injury Program (LLI-PP), These facilities will be used for rapid identification of agents responsible for lung inflammation, for structural analysis of biological molecules and for qualitative and quantitative assays of amino acids, eicosanoids and oxidized lipids and physiologic fluids. The Core has three triple quadruple GC/MS systems and a matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometer. Laboratory personnel assist users in developing HPLC and MS methods, assist in experimental design, develop standard operating procedures and maintenance history, perform routine assays for investigators and train students and fellows in the theoretical and practical aspects of mass spectrometry. The Core is run as an open- access facility in which users are expected to prepare their own samples to operate the instruments. Administrative staff monitors the use of the instrument facilities by investigators and prepares reports on utilization for the Center director. In addition to providing routine analytical and mass spectrometric services via the core facilities, Center investigators can form collaborations with Dr. Caprioli to solve analytical and structural problems that require non-routine, cutting edge technology using more advanced instrumentation in his research center. As the newer techniques become better understood, they will be made available to the user community through the core service laboratory. Thus, the BMSC satisfies the routine analytical needs of Center investigators, and also makes available new analytical capabilities for research problems demanding more innovative solutions that are beyond the scope of a service laboratory.